Essay talk:Rabbi Akiba

The point of this article is? $\approx$$\pi$ 00:25, 14 August 2008 (EDT)

Alternate version

An atheist came to Andy Schlafly and asked him, "Who created this world?" Schlafly replied: "The Holy One, blessed be He." So the atheist said, "Show me a clear proof." Schlafly replied, "Come back to me tomorrow." On the next day the atheist returned and Schlafly asked him, "What are you wearing?" The man replied, "A Che Guevara t-shirt." Schlafly asked him, "Who made the shirt?" The man replied, "Some 5 year old in a Vietnamese sweatshop." Schlafly answered, "I don't believe you. Show me a clear proof." The athiest replied, "What can I show you? Look at the tag: 'Made in Vietnam'!" Schlafly answered, "And don't you know that the Holy One, blessed be He, created his world?" When the athiest left, Schlafly's homeschool students asked him, "What's the clear proof?" He answered them, "My sons, just as a house indicates that there's a builder, and a garment indicates that there's a weaver, and a door that there's a carpenter -- so the world indicates that there is a creator, the Holy One, blessed be He."

The next day the atheist returned. Being a rich man who made a fortune using rational reasoning to solve complicated problems, he had secured two airline tickets to Vietnam. He flew himself and Andy around the world to the very sweatshop where the Che t-shirts were made, allowing Schlafly to see for himself the entire process of t-shirt production, beginning to end. "There," said the atheist, "I've now shown you exactly how t-shirts are made, can you show me this God of yours making creating universes? "Listen," Schlafly replied, "A t-shirt needs a maker, therefore the Bible is the literal truth. I don't see how I can make it any more clear." He then stormed off in a huff, muttering something incomprehensible about "liberals" and "talk talk talk." DickTurpis 00:55, 14 August 2008 (EDT)

Dumb Rabbi

The "Essay" tries to imply that Rabbi Akiba [whohe?] is some kind of smart cookie, yet it took him a whole day to come up with this ridiculous "proof" of why there is a creator. Creationism? Nah, cretinism! Genghis^{RationalWiki GOLD member} 07:13, 14 August 2008 (EDT)

Looks like he was some guy from ancient days. WP: Akiba ben Joseph. I doubt this is actually copied from the Talmud, as it reads more like hokey folklore. weaseLOId^{bite me} 07:46, 14 August 2008 (EDT)

It's from the midrash (Midrash Temurah 5, to be precise), not the Talmud. Not even the best story about R'Akiva...just proof that the Watchmaker Argument is nearly 2000 years old. For a more interesting (if more disturbing) story about R'Akiva, check out the Talmudic story about Moses time traveling to his yeshiva (and being thoroughly confused): http://steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=2292 Aristos achaion (talk) 07:44, 2 June 2014 (UTC)